Automatic cut-off.



J. MILLER & C. M. HANSEN. AUTOMATIC GUT-OFF. APPLIOATIQN HLM FEB. 7, 190s. nmmwsn 00T. 23,1908.

910,989. Patented .1211.251909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, l l I 'ma Nomzls Pan-Rs co., wAsHmgroN, n. c.

TTSED sTATns PATENT ortion".

JULIUS MILLER AND OHARLYS M. HANSEN, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC GUT-OFF.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed February 7, 1908, Serial No. 414,814. Renewed October 23, 1908. Serial 110.459,213.

To @Il whom it' may concern:

Be 1t known that we, JULIUs MILLER and OHARLYs M. HANSEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county' of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Out-Offs; and we do hereby declare the following to lbe a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic cut-oi's and more particularly to that class adapted to be used 1n connection with gas mains and our object is to provide means for automatically closing the feed pipe from the gas main when the pressure on the gas is decreased to a certain degree.

A further object is to provide means for adjustin the stroke of parts of the device and a sti further object 1s to provide means for o ening the cut-0H when desired.

Ot er objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

ln the accom anying drawings which are made a art of t is ap lication, Figure 1 is a sectiona view througlri a ortion of a feed pipe showin our improve cut-off mechanism applied t ereto. Fig.2 is a sectional view as seen on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view as seen on line 3--3,v Fig. 1, and, Fig. 4 is a detail, sectional view as seen on 1in@ 4 4, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a casing, one face of which is provided with a removable cover 2, said cover being arranged to hold a glass 3 or other transparent substance whereby the interior of the casing may be readily observed without removing the cover.

Located in the bottom of the casing 1, is a conduit 4, into the ends of which are introduced sections 5 and 6 of a feed pipe, said pipe being of that class commonly employed for conveying gas, or the like, from the street mains into a building, the section 5 being interposed between the main and the conduit, while the section 6 extends from the opposite end of the conduit to any preferred point in the building.

The conduit 4 is divided into compartments by means of a wall 7, which is preferably located adjacent its longitudinal center, so that the product in passlng through the conduit will be caused to lliow throu h a chamber 8 on the upper wall of the con uit, the chamber 8 being placed inA communication with the two sections oflthe conduit through the medium of ports 9 and 10, the port 9 being surrounded by a conical seat 11, with which is adapted to cooperate a conical valve 12, said valve being so arranged that when properly seated in the conical seat, the iiow of the product will be entirely cut 0H.

When the product is llowin through the conduit, the valve 12 is suspen ed in the conduit and is supported by means of a shaft 13, said shaft extending upwardly through the Wall of the chamber 8 and has pivotally secured to its u per end a rack bar 14, said rack bar being eld in a vertical position at all times by means of a slotted keeper 15 carried at the upper end of a standard 16, the lower end of the standard being threaded into a seat on the upper wall of the chamber 8, the stroke of the shaft being limited by means of a collar 17, surrounding the shaft 13 above the wall of the chamber 8, said collar being held in its adjusted position on the shaft by means of a set-screw 18, the collar when engaging the upper wall of the chamber 8, stopping the downward movement of the shaft.

The peripheral face of the valve 12 is provided with a plurality of encircling channels 19, in which are adapted to be disposed packing rings 20, thereby positively closing the port 9 when the valve'is properly seated and the valve is loosely held on the end of the shaft 13 so that it may properly adjust itself in its seat by providing a ball 21 on the lower end of the shaft and entering the same in a socket 22 in ythe valve 12, said valve being provided with a longitudinalv bore 23, through which the shaft extends, said bore being slightly larger than the shaft, thereby permitting the valve toV yield and the valve is held in position on the shaft by threading a plug 24 into the lower end of the opening 23, the inner end of the plug being concave to iit the contour of the ball 21, said plug forming a part of the socket for the ball.

Extending upwardly from the wall of the chamber 8, is a stem 25, on which is adjustably mounted a sleeve 26, said sleeve being held in its adjusted position on the stem by means of a binding screw 27 the upper end of the sleeve being provided with ears 28, between which is pivotally mounted a frame 29, one end of the frame being provided 'with a toothed rack 30, which is adapted to mesh with the rack bar 14 and raise and lower the valve l2 when the frame is rocked on its pivot point. rihe frame 29 is pivoted at ene end between the ears 28, so that the major portion of the frame extends to one side of the pivot point and said frame is provided with a longitudinal slot 3l, in which is adapted to travel a balance weight 32, said weight being globular and held in the slot by forming the walls 33 of the slot if-shaped, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The frame 29 normally rests at an angle to the vertical aXis ol the stem 25, se that the weight 32 will normally rest adjacent the ivoted end of the frame and said frame is lleld in this position by the pressure of the fluid passing through the conduit acting on a piston 34 mounted in a cylinder 35, wnicl cylinder communicates with the interior ol the chamber 3 and preferably immediately over the port 10, the piston being attached to the lrame 29 by means ol linhs 36, which are pivoted at their lower ends to an ear 37 on the piston 34 and at their upper ends to an ear 33, on the i'rame 29 and it will be readily seen that as long as the pressure in the chamber S is suincient to retain the piston 34 at the upper end oi the cylinder 35, the valve l2 will be retained in its lowered il osition and the fluid permitted to lreely how thi ough the ports 9 and 10. As soon, however, as the pressure in the chamber has been reduced to a certain degree, the weight of the frame will move the piston 34 downwardly and elevate the valve through the medium of the rack bar 14 and toothed rack 3() and it will further be seen that when the frame has been lowered slightly below the horizontal, the balance weight 32 will be moved to the opposite end ot' 4the frame 29 and the added weight overcome the remaining pressure in the chamber and positively seat the valve l2 in its seat 11, thereby completely stopping the flow of the iiuid through the conduit. The descent of the frame 29 is further regulated by means of a sliding weight 39, which is located adjacent the outer end of the frame 29 and is adjustably secured to a rib 40 on the upper face of the frame 29, the weight being held in its adjusted position en the rib by means of a set screw 4l. and it will be readilj seen that as the weight 39 is moved towards the outer end of the rib, the valve will close against a greater pressure in the chamber than when the weight is nearer the inner end of the rib.

This device is adapted more particularly to be used in connection with gas when used the reduction of the ilow ol' gas to a certain degree will extinguish the light and il the pressure is renewed, the room becomes `lillcd with the gas and unless discovered in time, will asphyxiate anyone sleeping in theroom, while with the use ol our automatic cut-ell, when the pressure of the gas has been reduced to a certain degree, the valve will be seated and the l'low olE gas completely stopped until the parts of the cut-oli' are manually operated to again open the valve and il'v the pressure oi the has been increased to a sullicient degree, the piston 34 will be held in its elevated position and. the gas permitted to ilow uninterruptedly until the pressure is again reduced.

rlhe valve 12 is entered into the conduit 4 through an opening` 4l L in the bottoni ol the conduit, said opening being surrouiuled by a collar 42, which is exteriorly threaded to receive a cap 43, the opening 4i l being` ol sul licient diameter to loosely receive the valve l2 and permit said valve to be introduced into the conduit.

ln regulating the distance to which the valve will be required to move in order to cnaj'e its seat il, the collar 17 is moved longzjitudinally on the shaft i3 and by lowering the collar on the shaft, the valve will be held in closer proximity to its seat7 thereby requiringr a shorter stroke of the frame to close the valve and to further assist the escape ol the v as throu h the port 9, the wall of the conical scat is provided with a plurality of openings 44, throu' h which the ,vas may escape, as well as at the upper end of the seat.

As the paits of the cut-oil are inclosed in the casing l, we provide means for mutually opening the valve l2 by pivotally mounting a lever at one end et' the casing, one end of the lever extending within the casing and the opposite end thereof into an inclosure 4G, the inner end of said lever being weighted, as best shown at 47 in Fig. 1 and provided with a curved terminal 43, which is adapted to engage a curved linger 49 at the tree end ol" the frame 29, whereby when the outer end ol the lever 45 is depressed, the curved termina-l will engage the linger and elevate the trame 29, thereby causing the balance weight 32 to move to the pivoted end of the frame and at the same time lower the valve 12, and ilE the pressure of the gas in the conduit is sullicient to hold the piston 34 at the upper end et the cylinder 3.5, the gas may ilew through the ports uninterruptedly.

rl"he outer end of the lever 45 is depressed through the medium et a plunger 50, said plunger extending upwardly through a stu'lling box 51 at the upper end of the closure 46, while the lower end thereof is pivotally secured to the lever 45 by introducing a pin 52 through the end of the plunger and. through a slot 53 in the end of the lever.

Located within the casing l and in position l (l (l l. fl (l to'be observed through the glass 3, is a gage 54, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction to indicate the amount of pressure in the feed pipe, said gage being connected to the 'conduit 4 through a pipe 55, that portion of the pipe between the gage and conduit having a cock 56 therein, by which means the gas may be shut 0H from the gage when desired, and as the gage is located between the valve and the gas main, it can be instantly seen when the gas has reached the proper pressure, thereby obviating the necessity of tilting the frame 29 when the ressure of the gas is not sufhcient to hold the frame in its elevated position.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a cheap and efficient device for automatically cutting od the flow of gas in one direction when the pressure of the gas has become weakened to a certain degree and that the flow of gas will be prevented until the parts of the cut-off are manually operated to open the same. It will further be seen that the several arts of the device may be readily adjusts to increase or decrease the stroke of the several parts thereof, thereby causing the cut-off to operate under various pressures.

What we claim is:

1. The herein described automatic cut-off, comprising a conduit divided into compartments by means of a stationary wall and having a port at each side of said wall, a chamber connecting said ports, a valve adapted to close one of said ports and means having movable Weights thereon adapted to automatically operate the valve when the pressure in the chamber is reduced.

2. In an automatic cut-0H, the combination with a conduit having a dividing wall, a port at each side of said wall, a chamber connecting said ports, a conical seat surrounding one of said ports open at both ends,

a valve adapted to be entered in said seatV and close communication between the two ends of the onduit; of means to automatically move said valve into engagement with the seat when pressure in the chamber is reduced.

3. An automatic cut-olf, comprising the combination with a conduit, a wall dividing said conduit into compartments, each compartment having a port and means to convey gas into said conduit; of a chamber adaptedto form communication between said ports, a seat surrounding one of said ports, a valve adapted to be seated in said seat and the flow of gas through the ports stopped, a shaft carrying said valve, acylinder at one end of said chamber, a piston in said cylinder and means having movable weights thereon interposed between said piston and shaft to operate the valve when the piston is lowered.

4. In an automatic cut-off, the combination with a conduit having ports therein, a

division wall between said ports, a valve seat surrounding one of said ports and means to convey gas into said conduit; of a chamber communicating with said ports, a shaft extending through the chamber and through the port having the seat, a valve loosely mounted on the lower end of said shaft, means to limit the stroke of said shaft and additional means to automatically raise the valve and dispose the same in its seat when the pressure inthe chamber has been reduced. 5. vIn an automatic cut-oli', the combination with a conduit having ports therein, a division wall between said ports, a chamber forming a passage between said ports, a valve adapted to close one of said ports, a shaft carrying said valve, a frame pivotally mounted upon said chamber, means at one end of said frame to raise and lower said shaft and means controlled by the pressure in the chamber adapted to support the frame in its elevated position, whereby the valve will be held in its lowered position.

6. In an automatic cut-off, the combination with a conduit having ports therein, a seat surrounding one of said ports and a valve adapted to be moved into said seat of a shaft supporting said valve, a rack bar at the upper end of said shaft, a frame having a longitudinal slot therein, means to pivotally support said frame, a rack carried by said frame adapted to engage the rack bar on the shaft and means to normally support said frame in an elevated position.

7. In an automatic cut-olf, the combination with a conduit, a valve seat in said conduit, a valve adapted to be engaged with said seat, a shaft supporting said valve, a pivoted frame adapted to engage the upper end of the shaft and seat the valve, a pivoted lever adapted to engage one end of the frame and elevate the saine, an inclosure for the outer end of said lever and a plunger pivoted to the lever adapted to operate the same when pressure is applied thereon.

8. The combination with a valve and a seat therefor of a shaft loosely attached to said valve, means to limit the stroke of said shaft, a rack bar at the upper end of said shaft, a sleeve, ears at the upper end of said sleeve, a supporting stem for said sleeve, a frame pivotally mounted between said ears and having a longitudinal slot therethrough, a balance weight in said slot adapted to move to opposite ends of the frame when the frame is raised and lowered, a rack carried by the frame adapted to engage the rack bar on'the shaft and operate the valve when the frame is rocked and pressure-operated means to hold the frame in its elevated position.

9. In an automatic cut-off, the combination with a conduit, a valve in said conduit, means to automatically operate said valve to close communication through the conduit and a pressure gage communicating names to this speoiiioation in the presence with said conduit 3 of a easing meloslng said of two suhserlbmg witnesses.

Aconduit, Valve-operating mechanism, and JULIUS MILLER gage and means to manually operate the Valve-operating mechanism, whereby the Valve will be lowered and communication "Witnesses:

through the conduit restored. JAMES HOWARD,

In testimony whereof we have signed our OLIVER E. JoNEs.

OHARLYS M. HANSEN. 

